


Don't Take Love Off the Table Yet

by chromyrose



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Bisexual Male Character, Bisexuality, Coming Out, Derogatory Language, Gossip, Homophobia, Homophobic Language, Homosexuality, M/M, Minor Violence, Rumors
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-31
Updated: 2016-07-31
Packaged: 2018-07-28 08:34:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,564
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7632727
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chromyrose/pseuds/chromyrose
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Nishinoya comes out as bisexual, Asahi ends up being more bothered by the tarnish to his reputation than Nishinoya himself. But when Asahi goes too far defending his teammate, unspoken emotions come spilling out.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Don't Take Love Off the Table Yet

**Author's Note:**

  * For [KuriKuri](https://archiveofourown.org/users/KuriKuri/gifts).



> AsaNoya has basically been my favorite ship since they first appeared in the anime, but I haven't had the chance to write a proper fic for them that wasn't just a drabble or pure PWP. So thank you KuriKuri for your awesome hqsummerhols requests, and I hope you like the result even though it deviates slightly from what you asked for. 
> 
> The title comes from the Fall Out Boy song "Death Valley."

It was all Nishinoya's fault. Brave Nishinoya. Stupid Nishinoya. Nishinoya, who came to their practice matches the weekend of Tokyo Rainbow Pride debuting a new handmade shirt: a three-kanji term “bisexual,” with each character in it's own striking shade of pink, purple, or blue, holding his chin up like he was waiting for someone to complain.

Asahi remembers the worried look he saw Coach Ukai and Takeda-sensei share, the low wolf whistle Suga offered that was followed by a broad grin and a clap on Nishinoya's shoulder. Daichi had sighed, asked Nishinoya if it was really necessary to do that when they were hosting another team, but Asahi saw the worry in the firm set of his brow and knew he wasn't offended, just concerned. The first years had gone off on their own tangent, as usual, and Tanaka shed tears in a dramatic show of support.

Asahi remembers that he'd wanted to shed tears too, albeit of a different sort.

They hosted Aoba Jousai that day, and there was a terrible tension on court until Oikawa, in all of his typical regal manner, dispelled it from the back line before his serve. “Libero-kun! I assume that garish color combination means you can receive every ball thrown your way? Because if it was meant to distract me, you'll have to do better!”

There was no trouble on that day, but Asahi went home with anxiety's tentacles gnarled in his gut nonetheless. It was only going to be a matter of time.

–

But Nishinoya, brave, stupid Nishinoya, was also sharp-tongued and strong. So when Masuda from Karasuno's basketball team offered him “the honor of giving me a blowjob for 500 yen,” he casually replied that he wouldn't approach a penis like his even if he was a prostitute and Masuda was the only man left with money on the planet. When boys from other volleyball teams let their eyes linger on Nishinoya like he was something exotic, he stared right back with his unnerving gaze until they looked away shamefully.

It was a surreal experience for Asahi, who was so used to those same gazes lingering on _him_. The whispers used to be about his gang activity, his general delinquency, and how unfair it was for Karasuno to have a third-time third year on their team when he should have been at the college level, at least. And while those rumors hurt, Asahi was used to them, and he'd take them any day over the new ones; Karasuno's tiny faggot, short enough to give head without getting on his knees. The bright orange jersey that stood out too much in crowd, like a flamboyant, preening bird, and somehow he still had the audacity to pursue girls?

And if Asahi's anxiety sometimes manifests as aggression, especially on the court where he can send a ball flying at 120 kilometers per hour right at whichever face he'd heard gossiping before a match, then at least he's giving Coach Ukai something to commend him for. But when that aggression happens to leave the court with him after a loss, as he enters the boys' bathroom just in time to hear, “–can't imagine being on a team with someone who's out like that. Even if you're a deviant, the least you can do is keep that shit to yourself. How do the other guys even change with him around, knowing he's probably creeping on them–”

Well, then it's all Nishinoya's fault that Asahi grabs the guy by the collar of his unfamiliar jersey and pushes him up against the wall.

“Don't talk about him like that!” Asahi roars, all of the frustration he's felt since the day Nishinoya came out pushing its way up out of his diaphragm.

“What the fuck, man?!” The boy whose life is in Asahi's arms has the daring to shout back. “What, is he your boyfriend, or something? He suck you off – OOF!”

“So what if he is?!” Asahi screams, the words coming from somewhere other than his mind. Because Nishinoya isn't his boyfriend, he isn't no matter how much Asahi wishes he could be. “If he is or he isn't, it's not your business. He's the best libero in the prefecture and twice the person you'll ever be!”

“Holy fuck,” a new voice says from the bathroom door. A new voice, but also a familiar one. “Asahi-san's actually in a fight for your honor, Noya-san!”

After the long moment it takes for Asahi to place the voice as Tanaka's, it's only an instant later that he's dropped the other team's player on the ground and looking at his own teammates in the doorway like a deer caught in someone's headlights. Tanaka's expression is a mirror of that, as he quite literally rubs his eyes as if expecting the image in front of him to change. Nishinoya is by Tanaka's side, just the same as always, but his expression is one Asahi has never seen before, one that looks so alien on his face Asahi can't even begin to parse what it means.

“It's not a fight!” Asahi squeaks pathetically. Even though he was just spitting in someone else's face out of rage and choking him with his own jersey. Oh god, it was a fight.

Nishinoya's sneakers are light as he takes the three steps between the door and the scene of the altercation. He studies the face of the other boy first, but then shrugs and turns to Asahi.

“Definitely not worth wasting your time on, _boyfriend_ ,” he declares with a elbow to Asahi's gut. “Although, I've gotta say, it totally gets me hot when you turn into my knight in shining armor.”

Asahi squeaks again, but he doubts anyone hears it; they're probably all too busy being shocked and or repulsed by Noya getting on his tiptoes and simultaneously pulling Asahi down by the arm so he can kiss his cheek.

“Fuck man, we're out of here,” the other boy's teammate finally speaks, helping his friend off the floor and shoving him out of the bathroom. “You two should keep that shit to yourselves is all I'm saying.”

Tanaka kicks the shin of the teammate as they pass the restroom door, but lets them leave without a comment. Even though his face has “comment” written all over it. Once the door closes again, Nishinoya grabs Asahi's cheeks and forces him to look at his face.

“What was that about, _boyfriend_? You should have told me we were dating, I would have deodorized my sneakers.”

“Nishinoya, I'm sorry,” Asahi says quickly, hearing the crack in his own voice. “I wasn't thinking, I just...”

“You just?” Nishinoya prompts. “Continue. I'm not letting you off the hook, Asahi-san. I've gotta know.”

Know? “I just got sick of hearing them talk about you like that!”

Nishinoya frowns. “What, those two bozos? Who cares what they think?”

“Not just them. Everyone!” Asahi amends quickly, a little desperately. “Ever since you came out you've been dealing with... with all this bullshit, and I just. I hate it. It's not your fault you're who you are. No one chooses it. A-And you actually manage to be proud of it, too, and I hate them for trying to take that away from you...”

Nishinoya lets Asahi's face go and pulls back to give him a severe frown. And then he hits him on the arm again.

“They can try to do whatever they want,” he says firmly. “They can't _take_ anything from me, Asahi-san. And, for the record, even if I could change this, I wouldn't. And I don't think anyone else should want that, either, because you've frankly got no idea who might really like the things you hate about yourself and who might come around to make you like them, too.”

Nishinoya stands before Asahi with his hands on his hips, waiting for a response. Asahi gapes.

“I'm just gonna go...” Tanaka says slowly. “Try not to miss the bus.”

The door shut behind him, and Nishinoya spoke again. “You were talking about yourself, right? You're ashamed.”

It isn't a question, but Nishinoya waits for an answer regardless. For the first time in his life, Asahi says, “I am. I'm not supposed to like boys.”

“Why not? I know we tend to smell and laugh at dumb shit, but not all guys are like that. Like there's this one guy I know, and he's basically a fucking god. Sculpted as fuck, tall, sexy hair, but the furthest thing from an asshole. Actually, he's pretty timid and it's adorable coming from someone as huge as he is.”

Asahi looks at Nishinoya very critically, because this is a dangerous time to misinterpret anything. Nishinoya looks right back, daring him to run away from the logical conclusion. And while Asahi is very gifted at running away, he has always struggled to live up to Nishinoya's dares.

“I... I know a guy, too. H-He's nothing like that, though,” Asahi starts. “He's kind of small, but he has a huge personality. He more full of life than anyone I know. But he never forgets to look out for the people he cares about, either. He's... He's really sweet that way.”

Nishinoya smiles crookedly. “Then I guess you're lucky, having such a cool boyfriend.”

Asahi inhales sharply; Nishinoya laughs as he pulls him down again to kiss the breath back out of him.

**Author's Note:**

> If you liked the fic, please let me know with a comment or kudos!


End file.
